From Woman's World · Melissa D'Agnese · · 1m 50s
Ann Patchett Shares 4 Books She’s Reading Right Now
Ann Patchett recommends 4 books she’s currently reading, including Lydia Millet’s dystopian novel and a desert island pick.
In brief
Ann Patchett recommends 4 books she’s currently reading, including Lydia Millet’s dystopian novel and a desert island pick. Ann Patchett recommends Lydia Millet’s 'A Children’s Bible', 'Fair Ones', George Eliot’s 'Middlemarch', and Colson Whitehead’s 'Cool Machine' as her current reads. Originally reported by Woman's…
Ann Patchett’s Current Reads
Ann Patchett shared four books she’s currently reading at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville this weekend.
Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible
Patchett recommends Lydia Millet’s National Book Award finalist 'A Children’s Bible', a dystopian novel about children at a lakeside mansion during a storm.
“Right now I’m reading Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible”
Lydia Millet’s Fair Ones
Patchett also loves Lydia Millet’s 'Fair Ones', a double novel following two Brooklyn women grieving the loss of their friend.
“I recently also read Millet’s new book which came out a couple of weeks ago called Fair Ones”
George Eliot’s Middlemarch
Patchett calls George Eliot’s 'Middlemarch' her desert island pick, a 1871 classic about a small English village’s community.
“I am also listening to Middlemarch right now which is a book I probably won’t finish”
Colson Whitehead’s Cool Machine
Patchett passionately recommends Colson Whitehead’s 'Cool Machine', the final book in his Harlem Trilogy set in 1980s New York.
“I cannot tell you how much I love Cool Machine.”
Southern Festival of Books
Over 200 authors, including Ann Patchett, gathered at Nashville’s Southern Festival of Books this weekend.
Patchett’s Book Recommendations
Patchett encourages readers to pick books that spark a love of reading, calling every book a 'gateway drug' for readers.
“Every book is a ‘gateway drug.’ If you read nothing, you will read nothing”
Book Banning Debate
Patchett argues against book bans, stating that banning books in schools is bad but also that cancelling books is bad.
“We need to stop talking about the books we hate…Banning books in schools and pulling them off the shelves is bad bad bad, but also cancelling books is bad bad bad”
Reading Community
Patchett emphasizes that anyone can join the reading community by picking up a book and starting to read.
“You don’t have to be a lifelong bookworm or read the classics to be part of the club. You just have to pick up a book and, well, start reading.”
Whistler
Patchett’s 2026 bestseller 'Whistler' is a novel she’s currently reading and promoting.
Parnassus Books
Ann Patchett opened Parnassus Books in Nashville in 2011, an independent bookstore serving as a book lover’s beacon.
The takeaway
Ann Patchett recommends Lydia Millet’s 'A Children’s Bible', 'Fair Ones', George Eliot’s 'Middlemarch', and Colson Whitehead’s 'Cool Machine' as her current reads.
